Study review: The effect of a mixed cannabidiol and cannabidiolic acid based oil on client-owned dogs with atopic dermatitis
Date: 29 May 2022
Publication: Veterinary Dermatology
Authors: Loewinger M, Wakshlag JJ, Bowden D, Peters-Kennedy J, Rosenberg A.
Using: two daily doses ranging from 1.9 to 3 mg/kg CBD, averaging 2.4 mg/kg of full-spectrum CBD in capsule form for 4 weeks
Full study: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/vde.13077
Introduction summary
Researchers wanted to find out if CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties mean it can reduce discomfort and symptoms related to allergen-induced dermatitis in dogs. That means symptoms like itchy skin and lesions in dogs who are sensitive to things like pollen and soap.
Method
For the study, researchers chose dogs who had been diagnosed with atopic dermatitis. They checked that the dermatitis was caused by environmental allergens, and not by things like fleas, infections, medications, or diet.
The dogs were of various ages, ranging from 1 to 13 years-old, and different breeds, including shepherds, retrievers, and mixed-breeds.
The researchers randomly split 29 dogs into two groups, one receiving twice-daily doses of CBD, the other getting a placebo, for 28 days.
To see whether CBD was helping the dogs, researchers assessed the dogs at the study’s beginning, mid-point and end. They also gave the dog’s owners a survey on dogs’ symptoms to fill in throughout the study.
CBD used
The CBD used in this study was the same product used by several others made in 2023. It’s a capsule containing full-spectrum CBD extract and a sesame-seed oil carrier (we recommend full-spectrum oils in our best CBD for dogs reviews).
Dogs were given approximately 2.4 mg/kg (3.69–5.97) of CBD or placebo in capsules, twice daily with meals, which is in line with the recommended CBD dosage for dogs.
Results
The study found that CBD helped reduce skin itchiness and irritation. Dogs in the CBD group showed significantly lower symptoms than the control group, plus a decrease in symptoms since beginning CBD supplementation. 10 out of 17 owners of dogs in the CBD group agreed that their pet’s symptoms had improved.
However, researchers found that CBD didn’t help treat skin lesions. This is perhaps unsurprising, given that the CBD product used in this study was a capsule, given orally, and not a topical CBD balm or cream.
The researchers suggested that CBD had more of a neurological than inflammatory effect on the dogs, which is why it reduced itching without improving lesions.